PGA Championship: England’s Aaron Rye becomes first major with three-shot victory over Jon Rahm at Aronimink Golf Club | golf news

England’s Aaron Rye won his first major title after a sensational three-shot win at the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.

Rye went two strokes back in the final round and was three behind with 10 holes to play, before a 40-foot eagle on the par-five ninth sparked a scoring burst that pushed him up a crowded leaderboard.

The world No. 44 posted two birdies in a three-hole stretch from the 11th and added back-to-back gains from the 16th, including a sensational 70-foot putt on the par-three 17th, for control and a three-shot cushion.

A final-round 65 at two-putt par and his final nine under of the week saw Rye end a streak of 10 consecutive American wins at the PGA Championship and become the first Englishman to win since Jim Barnes in 1919.

Jon Rahm finished tied-second with overnight leader Alex Smalley while chasing a third leg of a career Grand Slam, while two-time PGA Champion Justin Thomas shared fourth place with Ludwig Aberg and Germany’s Matty Schmid.

Rory McIlroy’s bid for back-to-back major titles ended five strokes behind in a tie-seven with Xander Schauffele and Cameron Smith, while Kurt Kitayama jumped into the top-10 with a round-of-the-day 63 and Scottie Scheffler ended his title defense after a two-under-6 in the final.

How Rai made a big thriller in Aronimink

About 30 players were within five of the lead heading into the final round, with Rahm making the first move after posting a birdie-birdie start to pull level with Smalley at six under.

Rahm lost ground after bogeying the next, while Smalley holed a 25-footer to scramble for par and stay ahead, only to swing three shots at the sixth to see Smalley double-bogey and Schmid hole out from 20 feet and card a third birdie in five holes.

Rye – playing two teams behind the leaders – was one behind after an opening-hole birdie but found himself two behind after bogeys at the sixth and eighth, before his long-range eagle at the ninth pulled him back and within one of Schmid.

The German opened his back nine with a bogey to hand the lead to Rye, who made a close-range birdie at the 11th and climbed down from a greenside bunker to take a shot at the par-four 13th.

Schmidt birdied the same hole to halve Rye’s advantage but the Wolverhampton golfer fell three behind as he took control of the tournament.

Rye then found the green in control in the last four and two-putted for par to win, his victory marking the first time in the modern era that the first two men’s majors of the year have been won by European players.

“It (the win) is very surreal,” Rai said. “It’s been a disappointing season so to be standing here is definitely beyond my wildest imagination. I think it’s been a really good continuation of the last few weeks with practice. My body feels great and I’ve really enjoyed the course this week.”

Rahm mixed four birdies with two bogeys in a final-round 68 to end the week at six under, Smalley found an eagle-three at the 16th and canceled out a bogey to share second with a 20-foot birdie at the next.

Scheffler and McIlroy fall short of Aronimink

McIlroy raised his hopes of winning a third PGA Championship when he followed up with a 10-footer and birdied the second to save par on the first, getting him within two, only to close on the remaining pars on his front nine.

The world No. 2 failed to capitalize on a shot at the par-five ninth on the 379-yard tee shot and ended his par streak with a bogey at the driveable 13th, where he hit a fairway three-wood into the rough and failed to find the green with his second.

McIlroy kept his slim hopes alive by rolling in a 25-foot birdie at the next but was unable to take advantage at the 16th, leaving him at even par for the week with a tie-seventh finish equaling his best finish at the PGA Championship since his 2014 victory.

Scheffler went five days into the final and outside the top-20 as he chased a fifth major in as many seasons, but the world number one – who can complete a career grand slam at the US Open next month – has struggled on the greens all week.

“When I look back on a week like this, I feel like I had a really good year on the greens and to have a disappointing week on the greens on a major week is a tough pill to swallow,” Scheffler admitted. Sky SportsMissed six putts from within five feet during the week.

What next?

The PGA Tour heads to Texas for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch, where Scheffler returns as the defending champion. Early coverage begins on Thursday from 12.45pm on Sky Sports+ and from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf.

The DP World Tour is in Belgium for the Soudal Open, while the next men’s major is the US Open at Shinnecock Hills from June 18-21, both live on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or Flow without any contract.